Rhythms and patterns

For this section I tried to understand the difference between rhythm and pattern in photography. Rhythm tends to be movement of the eye  over a repetitive theme, and pattern seems to be more about the area it is in. To explain better I have included the following shots:

This first shot of the rowing boats on the river is an example of rhythm, as the eye follows the same objects repeated across the frame, and it creates the movement of being fanned out equally in both directions, almost musically like a beat. Closer cropping to remove some of the water below the boats might have emphasised the rhythm more by keeping the focus mainly on the boats.

This next image I feel shows pattern more clearly as the repetition of the building windows reflected in the water extends way beyond the frame and so there are no other references to establish when this pattern will end. The whole frame is taken up by the pattern in the water, but had I taken the shot with a shorter focal length to include other subjects in the image, it would have lost its pattern like qualities.

I’m quite fond of the idea of using rhythm in more of my photography as it creates a very strong dynamic and sense of movement. The beat always the most important part in a good piece of music, so it makes for a good piece of photography!